The US fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/24 7:03A AP via Scripps News Group

The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman, new federal data released Thursday shows. The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had...

RFK Jr. approves removal of thimerosal from all US flu vaccines

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/23 8:25A Scripps News Group

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signed off on a recommendation to remove thimerosal from all influenza vaccines, even though numerous studies have found no evidence the mercury-based preservative is harmful. The...

This city has been ranked the fittest in the US for the 8th year in a row

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/23 7:19A Scripps News Group

For the eighth year in a row, Arlington, Virginia, has ranked in the top spot as the fittest city in the U.S. in the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) annual American Fitness Index . In fact, the top four cities of the 100 on the list...

RFK Jr. pushes for organ transplant system reform after federal investigation

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/22 9:26A Scripps News Group

The Department of Health and Human Services announced an initiative to reform the U.S. organ transplant system after a federal investigation uncovered what it called disturbing practices at an organ procurement organization that served Kentucky,...

Survey reveals high vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women and new mothers

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/20 4:56A Justin Boggs

A new survey published in JAMA Network by researchers from Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that many pregnant women and new mothers are opting to delay or refuse vaccines for their children. The...

Michigan erases $144 million in medical debt for more than 210,000 residents

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/18 5:47A Scripps News Group

Michigan has eliminated $144 million in medical debt for more than 210,000 residents as part of a state initiative announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Watch the Scripps News Group's Jolie Sherman's video report: Medical debt relief on the way The...

Healthy babies born in Britain after scientists used DNA from three people to avoid genetic disease

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/18 5:15A AP via Scripps News Group

Eight healthy babies were born in Britain with the help of an experimental technique that uses DNA from three people to help mothers avoid passing devastating rare diseases to their children, researchers reported Wednesday. Most DNA is found in...

Planned Parenthood goes to court to challenge Medicaid funding cuts

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/18 1:59A Scripps News Group

A court hearing is scheduled for Friday in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against the Trump administration. The organization is suing the federal government over access to Medicare payments for abortions, cancer screenings, birth control,...

Trump administration hands over nation's Medicaid enrollee data, including addresses, to ICE

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/17 6:25A AP via Scripps News Group

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation's 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United...

Juul can continue selling its tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes, FDA says

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/17 6:20A AP via Scripps News Group

The Food and Drug Administration is allowing vaping brand Juul to keep its e-cigarettes on the market, providing relief to a company that has struggled for years after being widely blamed for sparking the teen vaping trend. FDA regulators said...

Bryan Braman, former NFL linebacker, dies at 38 from 'very rare form of cancer'

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/17 6:17A Scripps News Group

Bryan Braman, an NFL linebacker who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, died at 38 years old from a rare form of cancer, according to multiple outlets. His agent confirmed his passing to CNN and USA Today on Thursday. A GoFundMe created...

Trump administration shuts down LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/17 2:56A Scripps News Group

A government-run suicide prevention hotline intended for LGBTQ+ individuals has been closed by the Trump administration. The 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifelines LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services will be made available as part of the broader...

Florida reports 4 deaths from flesh-eating bacteria this year

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/16 4:56A Scripps News Group

Four people have died in Florida this year after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus, according to state health officials . The most recent fatal case was reported in Hillsborough County, which includes the Tampa area....

Measles cases surge past 1,300; experts blame erosion of trust in science

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/16 4:26A Justin Boggs

Measles cases in the United States have surged to a 33-year high, with over 1,300 confirmed infections this year, according to data released Wednesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This marks a milestone in the spread of a...

Lorain County health officials warn of new tiny threat to the area: blacklegged ticks

News 5 Cleveland (Your Health Matters) 7/15 6:17A Drew Scofield

Ticks are already prevalent in the woods in Lorain County. However, health officials now report that another species of tick has migrated to the area, bringing the threat of Lyme disease with it. According to Lorain County Public Health,...